1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in a device for locking a detachable roof when the roof located upwardly of a driver's seat and passenger's seat in a motor vehicle is made detachable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, there has been commercialized a motor vehicle having a so-called T-bar roof.
A detachable roof in the motor vehicle of the type described is constructed such that, in the detached state of the detachable roofs, openings contiguous to door openings of side doors positioned outside the driver's seat and the passenger's seat are formed to accommodate the roofs.
Furthermore, in a state where the detachable roof is mounted to a motor vehicle body, the vehicle body is formed with a roof surface flush with a roof body.
In the state where the detachable roof is mounted to the motor vehicle body, a locked state should be reliably maintained so that the detachable roof does not generate vibrations during running of the motor vehicle.
Examples of devices for locking a detachable roof in a motor vehicle for the above-described purpose are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,618, and Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 68,157/1985.
Each of the lock devices disclosed in these examples include:
first and second levers rotatably mounted to the detachable roof and being in mesh with each other in a manner to be rotatable in synchronism with each other in directions opposite to each other;
first and second lock pins axially, linearly, movably supported on the detachable roof by means of guides at positions opposite to each other with the first and the second levers interposed therebetween, connected to the first and the second levers, respectively, through connecting mechanisms, and insertable at the forward ends thereof into lock holes formed in a motor vehicle body and opposed to the lock pins; and
a control lever connected to one of the first and the second levers to rotate the same.
In the state where the above-described detachable roof is mounted, if the outer surface of the detachable roof is shifted in position from the main roof body surface, then the seal between the detachable roof and the main body of the roof becomes unsatisfactory, thus causing water leakage and the like such as in the case of rain.
Furthermore, in the above-described lock device, when the pair of lock pins to be inserted into the lock holes formed in the motor vehicle body's sides are shifted in position from the lock holes, the force necessary for operation of the control lever is increased, thus lowering the controllability thereof.
In contrast thereto, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,943 for example, the lock pins are secured to a bush eccentrically to the bush, whereby the bush is made fixable at a plurality of positions around the axis thereof, so that the lock pins can be fixed at the optimal eccentric positions.
More specifically, the directions of eccentricity of the lock pins are changed, so that the shift in position between the detachable roof and the main roof body surface can be compensated for.
However, the above-described lock device presents such a problem that, in the above-described lock device, parts for fixing the bush, such as pins, are needed, whereby the number of parts as a whole is increased, so that the construction thereof becomes complicated.
Further, such a problem is presented that the pins are engaged with the bush, whereby the position of the bush in the circumferential direction is fixed, so that the reliability is unsatisfactory.